Tommy Cooper anniversary marked by heart defibrillator drive - BBC News BBC News Tommy Cooper anniversary marked by heart defibrillator drive 15 April 2014 Read more about sharing. Close share panel Image caption Tommy Cooper began entertaining his fellow troops during wartime service in Egypt, where he found his fez Fans of Tommy Cooper are marking the 30th anniversary of the entertainer's death from a heart attack by launching a campaign to save others from the same fate. Two defibrillators will be given to a library and a tourist information centre in his birthplace of Caerphilly. Members of the Tommy Cooper Society hope it will inspire other clubs and venues to buy the life-saving devices. Secretary Tudor Jones said it could have saved Cooper's own life. Media captionTudor Jones spoke about his memories of the comedian on BBC Radio Wales The comic magician collapsed on stage and died during a live TV broadcast from Her Majesty's Theatre in London on 15 April 1984 at the age of 63. Spirit 'alive' Mr Jones said members of his society felt that launching Tommy's Ticker Fund for defibrillators was a good way to mark the anniversary.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Sir Anthony Hopkins unveiled a statue of Tommy Cooper in Caerphilly in 2008 "We've made very little reference to his death in the past - we feel his spirit is still alive and making us laugh," he said. "There's a certain poignancy to this - if there had been a defibrillator on stage 30 years ago maybe he'd have been with us a little longer. "These things can save lives," he added. The defibrillators, which are used in attempts to re-start hearts with electric shocks, cost about £1,000 each. The campaign got off to a good start when a letter to a local newspaper about it prompted the Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations to offer the chance of grant aid, which has funded the first two devices. Wales Ambulance Service crews will demonstrate how to use the defibrillators correctly as they are handed over to staff at the town's new library and the nearby tourist information centre on Tuesday. The Tommy Cooper Society previously campaigned to have a statue of their hero erected in the town. There's a statue of Capt Mainwaring... isn't it time we had a stony Hancock?

(From Bournemouth Echo) There's a statue of Capt Mainwaring... isn't it time we had a stony Hancock? Show caption 3 comments A LIFE-SIZE bronze cast of Arthur Lowe as Captain Mainwaring, stalwart of Dad’s Army, has been unveiled in Thetford, Norfolk, where many of the scenes were filmed. It seems that every town and city worth its salt now has a statue of a comedy star. In Morley, West Yorkshire, there’s one of Ernie Wise, while his comedy partner Eric Morecambe is immortalised in his home town of Morecambe. In 2008, Sir Anthony Hopkins unveiled a statue of Tommy Cooper in Caerphilly, South Wales. There are hopes too for a seven-foot statue of comedian Benny Hill in his birthplace of Southampton. Although the tragic entertainer Tony Hancock already has a memorial in Birmingham, there’s surely a strong case for a similar tribute in Bournemouth. Despite being born in Birmingham in 1924, “the Lad Himself” grew up in Bournemouth, where he learned his craft and first took to the stage.

Every year, Members of the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society converge on Hotel Celebrity in Gervis Road, where Tony grew up (it was then the Durlston Court). He made his debut entertaining troops at the Sacred Heart Church hall on Richmond Hill in 1940, when he was billed as the Confidential Comic. Unfortunately, Tony’s act was too risqué for the audience... and he never told a blue joke again. At the height of his fame – when almost the whole country was tuning in to his radio and television shows – Hancock often returned to Bournemouth to visit his mother Lil. His last-known visit to Bournemouth ended in January 1968. Fewer than six months later, Lil heard her son had committed suicide in Australia, aged 44. Keith Mason, archivist of the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society, says: “He always said he was born in Birmingham whenever anybody asked but I suppose he did regard himself as coming from Bournemouth because he spent such a long time there and both his parents lived there until they died.” Bournemouth’s Malcolm Chapman, a foremost authority on the star, has argued that the town should have a Tony Hancock museum.

“Other towns have Morecambe and Wise, Dad’s Army and Laurel and Hardy museums, so why not Bournemouth?” he asked in a letter to the Editor of the Daily Echo in 2008. Hancock’s Half-Hour will be celebrated with two interactive script readings at a performance at The Winchester, Poole Hill, on July 15 and 20 at 8pm. Carnegie: Magic Detective: Magician Statues The #1 Magic History Blog on the internet! If you have news on HOUDINI, Robert Heller, Wyman the Wizard or any MAGIC HISTORY news or tips you'd like to pass my way, you can contact me at info@Carnegiemagic.com Also, looking for guest bloggers as well! Monday, August 27, 2012 Magician Statues The recent article I did on Tommy Cooper got me wondering about what other magicians might have statues. So far what I have found is pretty bleak. My criteria for this is for outdoor life-size or larger than life statues. I am not including busts, as there are a number of these around and I plan to cover those in another upcoming article.

Siegfried & Roy First up we have The Masters of the Impossible, Siegfried & Roy. Their massive bronze statue is outside the The Mirage Casino Hotel in Las Vegas. I believe it was erected in 1993 but I don't know who the artist was who created the work. I also am not sure it's actually a bronze statue or just a fiberglass statue with a bronze finish. I hope it's actually bronze. Sadly, S&R have been off the strip so long and some only remember them for the accident. But at their peak they were wonderful performers and entertainment icons. I hope their statue remains for many many years to come. Robert-Houdin In front of the Maison de la Magie in Blois France is this wonderful statue dedicated to The Father of Modern Magic, Jean Eugene Robert Houdin. He certainly deserves a statue and I'm glad to see that one was erected in his honor. However, I do not know the cost of the statue nor who sculpted it. The museum behind the statue is said to be the 'house' of Robert Houdin, but I'm not sure that is the case. I don't recall the Houdin house being that large.

One thing is certain, the descendants of Robert-Houdin did donate the house to the town of Blois to be used as a museum to the great French Magician. Tommy Cooper Tommy Cooper, the fez wearing British comedy magician has a statue in his honor that stands in his home town of Caerphilly, Wales. Tommy Cooper died while doing a show LIVE on TV in 1984. Like all the performers in this article, he transcended the magic world and was considered an entertainer for the masses. His statue is made of bronze and stands 9ft tall. It was created by sculptor James Done at a cost of £45,000 which was raised by The Tommy Cooper Society in 2008. Harry Collins Harry Collins was a magician and spokesman for the Frito Lay Corp. He was also one of the first magicians to inspire Lance Burton and I believe he was also Lance's first magic mentor. The statue stands over Harry Collins grave in the Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. The statue appears to be a bronze casting and no idea who the artist was or the cost.

David Copperfield The latest edition to the statues is one that was recently unveiled in August 2012 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. This bronze statue is dedicated to the 'King of Magic' David Copperfield. This is the most unusual statue of the group because at first glance it might appear to be a giant bust of the magician. However, the lower part of the statue features sculpted images from some of David's most popular illusions, including Flying, Walking Through The Great Wall of China, Making the Statue of Liberty Vanish, The Lear Jet Vanish and Tornado of Fire. It sits in front of the the theater where David Copperfield regularly performs in Las Vegas. HOUDINI? The big question I have is, "Where is the Statue of Houdini?" The sad answer to that is, there is NO statue of Houdini. The closest thing we have is his grave with the bust, but by the criteria I set above, that isn't quite enough. Let's face it Houdini deserves a life size statue! I know at one time the SAM led a concerted effort to the get a Houdini Postage Stamp which eventually paid off.

Perhaps it's time to work on the creation of a Houdini statue. There actually is/was a statue dedicated to the memory of Houdini, but it was of his Metamorphosis Trick which at one time was on display in Appleton Wisconsin. That statue is currently in storage while the city finds a new place to display it. OTHERS IF you happen to know of a magician statue that I missed, please let me know. I'm looking for more statues, NOT busts. I have a list of magic related busts that I'll be doing soon. Posted by This is how we have celebrated the late, great Tommy Cooper over the years - Wales Online Lifestyle This is how we have celebrated the late, great Tommy Cooper over the years As Tommy Cooper's former London home is given blue plaque status we look back at the homegrown tributes paid to one of our most iconic comedians Share Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Just like that the late, great Tommy Cooper has been honoured with a plaque at his former home in west London.

It’s the latest honour for the South Wales-born superstar comedian who is loved all over the world, not least in his home town of Caerphilly . Over the years, the town and the Tommy Cooper Society have paid homage to one of its most famous sons by unveiling pavers and a statue of the seriously funny man in the red fez, and have even held a Tommy Cooper-themed fun run. When Tommy met a Cooper One of the first people comedian Tommy Cooper met on his arrival in Caerphilly in 1972 was Lorraine Cooper. Lorraine (no relation) recognised him while she was out walking near the Club Double Diamond, where Tommy was appearing. Just like that Having fun at the unveiling of the Tommy Cooper statue in Caerphilly in 2008. Sir Anthony shows his true colours Tommy Cooper fan Sir Anthony Hopkins unveiled a statue of his hero in Caerphilly in 2008. All together now, smile! Sir Anthony Hopkins takes a selfie with a fan at the unveiling of the Tommy Cooper statue in Caerphilly.

Mr and Mrs Related: 30 Tommy Cooper jokes that will remind you of his comedy genius Hats off to the birthday boy Tommy Cooper birthday lunch at Ystrad Mynach in 2006. Tommy's daughter Vicky Cooper (centre) is with Tommy Cooper Society members Stan Stennett (President) Tommy's cousin Betty Jones, Margaret Jones , Tudor Jones, Angus Donaldson and magician Clive Greenaway. The best of Tommy Cooper Video Loading Tommy always had a nose for comedy Tommy's statue models a Red Nose in readiness for Comic Relief. Elly and Sharron rock a fez Sharron Kauczok with Elly the Tommy Cooper society mascot at the 2004 Tommy Cooper Fun Run at Caerphilly Castle. The master at work Tommy was pure magic. Fun run memento for Rob Football star Robert Earnshaw with a Tommy Cooper plaque at the Tommy Cooper Fun Run at Caerphilly Castle in 2004.

Related: Tommy Cooper remembered on the 30th anniversary of his death, live on TV Because birthdays should always be celebrated Ystrad Mynach College students Adrian and Hayley Worthing with Tommy Cooper's cousin Betty Jones and Tudor Jones of the Tommy Cooper Society. The society held an 83rd birthday lunch for the comedian at the college restaurant in 2004. Let the hands do the talking Tudor Jones with sculptor James Done and entertainer Stan Stennett at the Launch of the Tommy Cooper Appreciation Society in the Tommy Jones magic tent at the Big Cheese Festival in 2003. Three of a kind Angus Donaldson, Betty Jones - Tommy Cooper's cousin - and James Fussell, all members of the Tommy Cooper Society, in Caerphilly in 2003. Walk this way Betty Jones at the unveiling of phase one of the Walk of Fame in honour of Tommy Cooper at the Twyn, Caerphilly, in 2005. Teeing off with Tommy The inaugural Tommy Cooper Golf Day at Caerphilly Golf Club i 2005. Front to Back: Tudor Jones, Derek Dowsett (captain), and Chris Bleach.

Capital day for a comic Tommy Cooper opened the National Food Exhibition for Wales at Sophia Gardens Pavilion in Cardiff in 1960. George nabs a comedy chicken The unveiling of pavers dedicated to the late Tommy took place in Caerphilly in 2008. Pictured with Tommy Cooper's chicken he bought at auction in 1984 is George Ridgeon, aged 64. Tommy in the frame Sally Higgs of the Caerphilly Visitors Centre in 2005 with a portrait of Tommy Cooper. Standing tall Tommy with Michael Blythe and Pearl Catlin in a 1927 Austin-Beardmore before leaving to open the Food Fair at Sophia Gardens Pavilion, Cardiff, in 1960. Stamp of approval The launch of 'magic stamps' at Caerphilly in 2005 with members of the Tommy Cooper Society. A warm welcome home Tommy Cooper was welcomed back to Caerphilly by councillor Douglas Thomas in 1972. Ladies have a giggle Members of the Caerphilly Ladies' Choir, Audrey Baynton, Marjorie Gray, and Marion Watts at the Tommy Cooper pavers dedication ceremony in Caerphilly.

Mirror image Tommy Cooper returned to Caerphilly in 1972 to perform a week's cabaret at the Club Double Diamond, near Tommy's birthplace. The club's owner, R.W.C. Lewis presented Tommy with a portrait painted by Walter Hazell of Boverton Brook, Boverton. Tabitha gets a closer look Having a close up look of pavers dedicated to Tommy Cooper in 2008 is Tabitha Barry, aged 5. Best foot forward Tommy Cooper Fun Run at Caerphilly Castle in 2004. Read More Tommy Cooper - History of Magic History of Magic by David O'Connor The Magic of Tommy Cooper Any magician wishing to add comedy to their show should watch and study the antics of the late Tommy Cooper, known in the history of magic as someone who mixed his comedy with magic tricks that always went wrong. Born in Glamorgan Wales in 1921, he and family soon moved to Devon in the UK. His aunt gave him a magic set at age 8 that he spent hours perfecting. His brother David opened a magic shop in 1930 that was to further influence Tommy’s career.

With the advent of the Second World War he signed up and served under General Montgomery in Egypt. He joined the NAAFI , entertaining the troops, revolving around a comedy act that involved bungled magic. Performing one night in Cairo he reached out and stole a passing waiter’s red, fez hat that got huge laughs and became synonymous with his act. He went on to become one of the funniest variety concert performers of all time and would perform as many as 50 shows a week. On Christmas Eve 1947 he began his professional career as a music hall entertainer in the United Kingdom. The Magic of Cooper’s Comedy: From his early magic tricks his show led to his tricks not working and funny, often silly lines of patter that were hilarious. However his conjuring tricks and jokes were all meticulously choreographed. To keep his audiences alert he would often perform a magic trick that did actually work. Once at an audition where his magic failed, the panel booked him because he was so funny. He even became a member of the prestigious London Magic Circle . His career included major television series with different English networks that were highly successful.

He also did some pantomime and a tour of Europe and featured a long season at the famous London Windmill Theatre . The lesson here is that more magicians should do pantomime or drama work for the theatrical experience and to learn as much as they can about stagecraft. For over forty years he entertained millions of television viewers with his distinctive act and became one of the funniest comedians of all time and was a great admirer of Bob Hope , Laurel and Hardy , Max Miler and Robert Orben , (famous for his comedy patter books). Some of his great lines went like this, “I painted my wife in oils – she now looks like a sardine”. My wife said to me, “Take me in your arms and whisper something soft and sweet – So I whispered, ‘chocolate fudge’. “I went window shopping today – I bought four windows”. He eventually had a data base of thousands of gags, skits and jokes to work from. The Dark Side of Tommy Cooper: Sadly Tommy Cooper’s life did have a low side, as he had a problem with alcohol throughout his career. He was also known to be reluctant to put his hand in his pocket and was said to be quite mean and never tipped.

In fact he was known to pay taxi drivers the exact fare and would leave the cab handing the taxi driver an envelope saying, “Have a drink on me”. The envelope contained a ‘Tea bag“. Once while appearing on the Michael Parkinson Show and slightly inebriated he forgot to set the safety catch on the Guillotine Illusion, and only by the last minute intervention by the floor manager saved Parkinson from serious injury or worse! The lesson here is to always check your props and illusions before performing and never be in a state where you are not in full control of your actions. A Death the World Witnessed: Tommy Cooper’s career sadly came to an end actually doing what he did best. He was performing live at Her Majesty’s Theatre London on April 15th 1984. His act as usual had the theatre audience crying with laughter as his tricks went wrong and his straight faced gags brought chuckles. He had put on a cloak with host Jimmy Tarbuck hiding behind the curtains ready to pass him different props that Cooper would magically pull from inside his cloak, when he collapsed on stage. He had suffered a massive heart attack and passed away while on stage.

In his death throws, the audience roared with laughter thinking it was all part of his act. The curtain was lowered and the next variety act hastily went on in the true tradition of ‘The show must go on’. The show was being filmed live and sadly the last stages showing Tommy Cooper collapsing went out on television for the whole world to see. There was some adverse criticism from some sources of YouTube then airing this footage. Then in 2011 this segment was again aired on a U K television documentary titled, The Untold Tommy Cooper. He had become a real time legend in his own lifetime. Just walking out on stage brought instant laughter. Tommy Cooper with his distinctive British accent, humour and calamitous magic tricks still continues to entertain us via the many video clips of him performing live and his comedy is as funny today, as it was during his lifetime. A statue of Cooper was erected in the town of Caerphilly in Wales that pays tribute to this giant of an entertaining icon. His name and talent lives on with other performers staging plays about him. The British Heart Foundation ran a series of ads about Tommy Cooper to bring awareness of heart disease. Songs have been written about the man and he has influenced many comedians who revere his memory.

He was loved by us all and will be long remembered in the history of magic. “Just like that” was his favourite saying. Follow the Magic Tricks For Kids Team to Keep Up With New Posts! FanPal.com | Contact Anthony Hopkins | Write to Any Star Don't have an account yet? Join FanPal.com Today! Biography Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937), is a Welsh actor of film, stage, and television. After graduating from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 1957, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and was then spotted by Laurence Olivier who invited him to join the Royal National Theatre. In 1968, he got his break in film in The Lion in Winter, playing King Richard the Lionheart. Considered to be one of the greatest living actors, Hopkins is well known for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, its sequel Hannibal, and the prequel Red Dragon.

Other notable films include The Mask of Zorro, The Bounty, Meet Joe Black, The Elephant Man, Magic, 84 Charing Cross Road, Bram Stoker 's Dracula, Legends of the Fall, Thor, The Remains of the Day, Amistad, Nixon, The World's Fastest Indian, Instinct, and Fracture. Along with his Academy Award, Hopkins has won three BAFTA Awards, two Emmys, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award. In 1993, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the arts. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003, and was made a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2008. Read more... Early life "I don't know where everyone gets the idea we were good friends. I suppose it's because we are both Welsh and grew up near the same town . For the record, I didn't really know him at all." —Hopkins on Welsh compatriot Richard Burton , The Guardian interview, 2012.

Hopkins was born on New Year's Eve 1937, in Margam, a suburb of Port Talbot, Glamorgan. His parents are Annie Muriel (née Yeates) and Richard Arthur Hopkins, a baker. His school days were unproductive; he would rather immerse himself in art, such as painting and drawing, or playing the piano, than attend to his studies. In 1949, to instill discipline, his parents insisted he attend Jones' West Monmouth Boys' School in Pontypool. He remained there for five terms and was then educated at Cowbridge Grammar School in the Vale of Glamorgan. Hopkins was influenced and encouraged by Welsh compatriot Richard Burton, whom he met at the age of 15. Hopkins promptly enrolled at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, from which he graduated in 1957. After two years in the British Army doing his national service, he moved to London, where he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Career Hopkins made his first professional stage appearance in the Palace Theatre, Swansea, in 1960 with Swansea Little Theatre's production of Have a Cigarette.

In 1965, after several years in repertory, he was spotted by Laurence Olivier, who invited him to join the Royal National Theatre in London. Hopkins became Olivier's understudy, and filled in when Olivier was struck with appendicitis during a production of August Strindberg's The Dance of Death. Olivier later noted in his memoir, Confessions of an Actor, that "A new young actor in the company of exceptional promise named Anthony Hopkins was understudying me and walked away with the part of Edgar like a cat with a mouse between its teeth." Despite his success at the National, Hopkins tired of repeating the same roles nightly and yearned to be in films. He made his small-screen debut in a 1967 BBC broadcast of A Flea in Her Ear. His first starring role in a film came in 1964 in Changes, a short directed by Drewe Henley , written and produced by James Scott and co-starring Jacqueline Pearce . In 1968, he got his break in The Lion in Winter playing Richard I.

Although Hopkins continued in theatre (most notably at the National Theatre as Lambert Le Roux in Pravda by David Hare and Howard Brenton and as Antony in Antony and Cleopatra opposite Judi Dench as well as in the Broadway production of Peter Shaffer 's Equus) he gradually moved away from it to become more established as a television and film actor. He portrayed Charles Dickens in the BBC television film The Great Inimitable Mr. Dickens in 1970, and Pierre Bezukhov in the BBC's mini series War and Peace (1972). In 1972 he starred as WWI British Prime Minister David Lloyd George in Young Winston, and in 1977 he played British Army officer John Frost in Richard Attenborough 's WWII film A Bridge Too Far. In 1980, he starred in The Elephant Man as the English doctor Sir Frederick Treves , who attends to Joseph Merrick (portrayed by John Hurt ), a severely deformed man in 19th century London.

That year he also starred opposite Shirley MacLaine in A Change of Seasons and famously said "she was the most obnoxious actress I have ever worked with." In 1984, he starred opposite Mel Gibson in The Bounty as William Bligh, captain of the Royal Navy ship the HMS Bounty, in a retelling of the mutiny on the Bounty. In 1992, Hopkins portrayed Abraham Van Helsing in Francis Ford Coppola 's Bram Stoker's Dracula. Set in 1950s post-war Britain, Hopkins starred opposite Emma Thompson in the critically acclaimed The Remains of the Day (1993). Hopkins was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, and the film frequently ranks among the best British films of all time. Hopkins portrayed Oxford academic C. S. Lewis in the 1993 British biographical film Shadowlands, and received the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. During the 1990s, Hopkins had the chance to work with Bart the Bear in two films: Legends of the Fall (1994) and The Edge (1997).

According to trainer, Lynn Seus, "Tony Hopkins was absolutely brilliant with Bart...He acknowledged and respected him like a fellow actor. He would spend hours just looking at Bart and admiring him. He did so many of his own scenes with Bart." Hopkins was Britain's highest paid performer in 1998, starring in The Mask of Zorro and Meet Joe Black, and also agreed to reprise his role as Dr Hannibal Lecter for a fee of £15 million. In 2000, Hopkins narrated Dr. Seuss ' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Hopkins received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. Hopkins stated that his role as Burt Munro, whom he portrayed in his 2005 film The World's Fastest Indian, was his favourite. He also asserted that Munro was the easiest role that he had played because both men have a similar outlook on life. In 2006, Hopkins was the recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement. In 2008, he received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award, the highest award the British Film Academy can bestow.

On 24 February 2010, it was announced that Hopkins had been cast in The Rite, which was released on 28 January 2011. He played a priest who is "an expert in exorcisms and whose methods are not necessarily traditional". Hopkins, who is quoted as saying "I don't know what I believe, myself personally", reportedly wrote a line--"Some days I don't know if I believe in God or Santa Claus or Tinkerbell"—into his character in order to identify with it. On the other hand, in other sources from the same time, he is quoted as saying that he did believe in God and had done so for decades. On 21 September 2011, Peter R. de Vries named Hopkins in the role of the Heineken owner Freddy Heineken in a future film about his kidnapping. Hopkins portrayed Odin, the Allfather or "king" of Asgard, in the 2011 film adaptation of Marvel Comics' Thor. Hopkins portrayed Alfred Hitchcock in Sacha Gervasi's biopic Hitchcock, following his career while making Psycho. The film was released on 23 November 2012.

In 2013, he reprised his role as Odin in Thor: The Dark World. In 2014, he portrayed Methuselah in Darren Aronofsky 's Noah. Hannibal Lecter Hopkins' most famous role is as the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1991, with Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, who also won for Best Actress. The film won Best Picture, Best Director and Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Hopkins reprised his role as Lecter twice; in Ridley Scott 's Hannibal (2001), and Red Dragon (2002). His original portrayal of the character in The Silence of the Lambs has been labelled by the AFI as the number-one film villain. At the time he was offered the role, Hopkins was making a return to the London stage, performing in M. Butterfly. He had come back to Britain after living for a number of years in Hollywood, having all but given up on a career there, saying, "Well that part of my life's over; it's a chapter closed.

I suppose I'll just have to settle for being a respectable actor poncing around the West End and doing respectable BBC work for the rest of my life." Hopkins played the iconic villain in adaptations of the first three of the Lecter novels by Thomas Harris . The author was reportedly very pleased with Hopkins' portrayal of his antagonist. However, Hopkins stated that Red Dragon would feature his final performance as the character, and that he would not reprise even a narrative role in the latest addition to the series, Hannibal Rising. Acting style Hopkins is renowned for his preparation for roles. He indicated in interviews that once he has committed to a project, he will go over his lines as many times as is needed (sometimes upwards of 200) until the lines sound natural to him, so that he can "do it without thinking". This leads to an almost casual style of delivery that belies the amount of groundwork done beforehand. While it can allow for some careful improvisation, it has also brought him into conflict with the occasional director who departs from the script, or demands what the actor views as an excessive number of takes. Hopkins has stated that after he is finished with a scene, he simply discards the lines, not remembering them later on.

This is unlike others who usually remember their lines from a film, even years later. Richard Attenborough, who directed Hopkins on five occasions, found himself going to great lengths during the filming of Shadowlands (1993) to accommodate the differing approaches of his two stars (Hopkins and Debra Winger ), who shared many scenes. Whereas Hopkins, preferring the spontaneity of a fresh take, liked to keep rehearsals to a minimum, Winger rehearsed continuously. To allow for this, Attenborough stood in for Hopkins during Winger's rehearsals, only bringing him in for the last one before a take. The director praised Hopkins for "this extraordinary ability to make you believe when you hear him that it is the very first time he has ever said that line. It's an incredible gift." Renowned for his ability to remember lines, Hopkins keeps his memory supple by learning things by heart such as poetry, and Shakespeare. In Steven Spielberg 's Amistad, Hopkins astounded the crew with his memorisation of a seven-page courtroom speech, delivering it in one go. An overawed Spielberg couldn't bring himself to call him Tony, and insisted on addressing him as Sir Anthony throughout the shoot.

Hopkins is a gifted mimic, adept at turning his native Welsh accent into whatever is required by a character. He duplicated the voice of his late mentor, Laurence Olivier, for additional scenes in Spartacus in its 1991 restoration. His interview on the 1998 relaunch edition of the British TV talk show Parkinson featured an impersonation of comedian Tommy Cooper. Hopkins has said acting "like a submarine" has helped him to deliver credible performances in his thriller movies. He said, "It's very difficult for an actor to avoid, you want to show a bit. But I think the less one shows the better." Personal life Hopkins was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1987, and was knighted at Buckingham Palace in 1993 for services to the arts. In 1988, Hopkins was made an Honorary D.Litt and in 1992 was awarded Honorary fellowship from the University of Wales, Lampeter. He was made a freeman of his hometown Port Talbot in 1996. Hopkins resides in Malibu, California.

He had moved to the US once before during the late 1970s to pursue his film career, but returned to London in the late 1980s. However, he decided to return to the US following his 1990s success. Retaining his British citizenship, he became a naturalised US citizen on 12 April 2000, with Hopkins stating: "I have dual citizenship, it just so happens I live in America". Hopkins has been married three times. His first two wives were Petronella Barker from 1966 to 1972, and Jennifer Lynton from 1973 to 2002. He has a daughter from his first marriage, actress and singer Abigail Hopkins (born 20 August 1968). He married Stella Arroyave in 2003. On Christmas Eve 2012, he celebrated his 10th wedding anniversary by having a blessing at a private service at St David's Cathedral in Pembrokeshire.

Hopkins has offered his support to various charities and appeals, notably becoming President of the National Trust's Snowdonia Appeal, raising funds for the preservation of Snowdonia National Park in north Wales. In 1998 he donated £1 million towards the £3 million needed to aid the Trust's efforts in purchasing parts of Snowdon. Prior to the campaign, Hopkins authored Anthony Hopkins' Snowdonia, which was published in 1995. Due to his contributions to Snowdonia, in addition to his film career, in 2004 Hopkins was named among the 100 Welsh Heroes in a Welsh poll. Hopkins has been a patron of the YMCA centre in his hometown of Port Talbot, South Wales for more than 20 years, having first joined the YMCA in the 1950s. He supports other various philanthropic groups. He was a Guest of Honour at a Gala Fundraiser for Women in Recovery, Inc., a Venice, California-based non-profit organisation offering rehabilitation assistance to women in recovery from substance abuse. He is also a volunteer teacher at the Ruskin School of Acting in Santa Monica, California.

Hopkins served as the Honorary Patron of The New Heritage Theatre Company in Boise, Idaho from 1997-2007, participating in fundraising and marketing efforts for the repertory theatre. Hopkins is a recovering alcoholic; he stopped drinking just after Christmas 1975. He said that a major help in his recovery was his belief in God. He has criticised atheism, saying "being an atheist must be like living in a closed cell with no windows". He quit smoking using the Allen Carr method. In 2008, he embarked on a weight loss programme, and by 2010, he had lost 80 pounds. Hopkins contributed toward the refurbishment of a £2.3 million wing at his alma mater, the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, named the Anthony Hopkins Centre. It opened in 1999. Hopkins is a prominent member of environmental protection group Greenpeace and as of early 2008 featured in a television advertisement campaign, voicing concerns about Japan's continuing annual whale hunt.

He has also been a patron of RAPt (Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust) since its early days and helped open their first intensive drug and alcohol rehabilitation unit at Downview (HM Prison) in 1992. Hopkins is an admirer of the Welsh comedian Tommy Cooper. On 23 February 2008, as patron of the Tommy Cooper Society, he unveiled a commemorative statue in the entertainer's home town of Caerphilly. For the ceremony, he donned Cooper's trademark fez and performed a comic routine. Other work In a 2012 interview, Hopkins stated, "I've been composing music all my life and if I'd been clever enough at school I would like to have gone to music college. As it was I had to settle for being an actor." In 1986, he released a single called "Distant Star", which peaked at No. 75 in the UK Singles Chart. In 2007, he announced he would retire temporarily from the screen to tour around the world. Hopkins has also written music for the concert hall, in collaboration with Stephen Barton as orchestrator.

These compositions include The Masque of Time, given its world premiere with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in October 2008, and Schizoid Salsa. In 1990, Hopkins directed a film about his Welsh compatriot, poet Dylan Thomas, titled Dylan Thomas: Return Journey, which was his directing debut for the screen. In the same year, as part of the restoration process for the Stanley Kubrick film Spartacus, Hopkins was approached to re-record lines from a scene that was being added back to the film; this scene featured Laurence Olivier and Tony Curtis , with Hopkins recommended by Olivier's widow, Joan Plowright to perform her late husband's part thanks to his talent for mimicry. In 1996, he directed August, an adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya set in Wales. His first screenplay, an experimental drama called Slipstream, which he also directed and scored, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007. In 1997, Hopkins narrated the BBC natural documentary series, Killing for a Living, which showed predatory behaviour in nature. He narrated episode 1 through 3 before being replaced by John Shrapnel .

Hopkins is a fan of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, and once remarked in an interview how he would love to appear in the series. Writer John Sullivan saw the interview, and with Hopkins in mind created the character Danny Driscoll, a local villain. However, filming of the new series coincided with the filming of The Silence of the Lambs, making Hopkins unavailable. The role instead went to Roy Marsden . On 31 October 2011, André Rieu released an album including a waltz which Hopkins had composed many years before, at the age of nineteen. Hopkins had never heard his composition, "And the Waltz Goes On", before it was premiered by Rieu's orchestra in Vienna; Rieu's album was given the same name as Hopkins' piece. In January 2012, Hopkins released an album of classical music, entitled Composer, performed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and released on CD via the UK radio station Classic FM. The album consists of nine of his original works and film scores, with one of the pieces titled "Margam" in tribute to his home town near Port Talbot in Wales.

In October 2015, Hopkins appeared as Sir in a BBC Two production of Ronald Harwood's The Dresser, alongside Ian McKellen , Edward Fox and Emily Watson . The Dresser is set in a London theatre during the Blitz, where an aging actor-manager, Sir, prepares for his starring role in King Lear with the help of his devoted dresser, Norman. Anthony Hopkins Anthony Hopkins Philip Anthony Hopkins 31 December 1937 (1937-12-31) (age 73)Port Talbot, Glamorgan,Wales, United Kingdom Occupation Edit Block Hopkins at the Tuscan Sun Festival, Cortona, 2009 Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937), best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television. Considered to be one of the greatest living actors, Hopkins is perhaps best known for his portrayal of cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (for which he received the Academy Award for Best Actor), its sequel Hannibal, and its prequel Red Dragon.

Other prominent film credits include The Lion in Winter, Magic, The Elephant Man, 84 Charing Cross Road, Dracula, Legends of the Fall, The Remains of the Day, Amistad, Nixon, and Fracture. Hopkins was born and brought up in Wales. Retaining his British citizenship, he became a U.S. citizen on 12 April 2000. Hopkins' films have spanned a wide variety of genres, from family films to horror. As well as his Academy Award, Hopkins has also won three BAFTA Awards, two Emmys, a Golden Globe and a Cecil B. DeMille Award.Hopkins was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1993 for services to the arts. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003, and was made a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2008. Early life Edit Block Hopkins was born in Margam, Port Talbot, Wales, the son of Muriel Anne (née Yeats) and Richard Arthur Hopkins, a baker.

His schooldays were unproductive; he found that he would rather immerse himself in art, such as painting and drawing, or playing the piano, than attend to his studies. In 1949, to instill discipline, his parents insisted he attend Jones' West Monmouth Boys' School in Pontypool, Wales. He remained there for five terms and was then educated at Cowbridge Grammar School in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Hopkins was influenced and encouraged to become an actor by Welsh compatriot Richard Burton (who was also born at Neath Port Talbot), whom he met briefly at the age of 15. To that end, he enrolled at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, Wales, from which he graduated in 1957. After two years in the British Army doing his national service, he moved to London where he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Career Isabella Rossellini and Anthony Hopkins in Berlin to shoot scenes for The Innocent (1993). Roles Hopkins made his first professional stage appearance in the Palace Theatre, Swansea in 1960 with Swansea Little Theatre's production of Have A Cigarette.

In 1965, after several years in repertory, he was spotted by Sir Laurence Olivier, who invited him to join the Royal National Theatre. Hopkins became Olivier's understudy, and filled in when Olivier was struck with appendicitis during a production of August Strindberg's The Dance of Death. Olivier later noted in his memoir, Confessions of an Actor, that, "A new young actor in the company of exceptional promise named Anthony Hopkins was understudying me and walked away with the part of Edgar like a cat with a mouse between its teeth." Despite his success at the National, Hopkins tired of repeating the same roles nightly and yearned to be in films. He made his small-screen debut in a 1967 BBC broadcast of A Flea in Her Ear. In 1968, he got his break in The Lion in Winter playing Richard I, along with Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn, and future James Bond star Timothy Dalton, who played Philip II of France.

Although Hopkins continued in theatre (most notably at the National Theatre as Lambert Le Roux in Pravda by David Hare and Howard Brenton and as Antony in Antony and Cleopatra opposite Judi Dench as well as in the Broadway production of Peter Shaffer's Equus, directed by John Dexter) he gradually moved away from it to become more established as a television and film actor. His Pierre Bezukhov for the BBC War and Peace (1972) was particularly memorable. He has since gone on to enjoy a long career, winning many plaudits and awards for his performances. Hopkins was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1987, and a Knight Bachelor in 1993. In 1996, Hopkins was awarded an honorary fellowship from the University of Wales, Lampeter. Hopkins received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. Hopkins has stated that his role as Burt Munro, whom he portrayed in his 2005 film The World's Fastest Indian, was his favourite. He also asserted that Munro was the easiest role that he had played because both men have a similar outlook on life.

In 2006, Hopkins was the recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement. In 2008, he received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award. Hopkins portrayed Odin, the father of Thor, in the film adaptation of Marvel Comics' Thor. On 24 February 2010, it was announced that Hopkins had been cast in the supernatural thriller The Rite, which was released on January 28, 2011. He played a priest who is "an expert in exorcisms and whose methods are not necessarily traditional". An agnostic, he wrote a line--"Some days I don't know if I believe in God or Santa Claus or Tinkerbell"--into his character in order to identify with it. Acting style Hopkins is renowned for his preparation for roles. He has indicated in interviews that once he has committed to a project, he will go over his lines as many times as is needed (sometimes upwards of 200) until the lines sound natural to him, so that he can "do it without thinking". This leads to an almost casual style of delivery that belies the amount of groundwork done beforehand.

While it can allow for some careful improvisation, it has also brought him into conflict with the occasional director who departs from the script, or demands what the actor views as an excessive number of takes. Hopkins has stated that after he is finished with a scene, he simply discards the lines, not remembering them later on. This is unlike others who usually remember their lines from a film even years later.Richard Attenborough, who has directed Hopkins on five occasions, found himself going to great lengths during the filming of Shadowlands (1993) to accommodate the differing approaches of his two stars (Hopkins and Debra Winger), who shared many scenes. Whereas Hopkins, preferring the spontaneity of a fresh take, liked to keep rehearsals to a minimum, Winger rehearsed continuously. To allow for this, Attenborough stood in for Hopkins during Winger's rehearsals, only bringing him in for the last one before a take. The director praised Hopkins for "this extraordinary ability to make you believe when you hear him that it is the very first time he has ever said that line.

It's an incredible gift." Renowned for his ability to remember lines, Hopkins keeps his memory supple by learning things by heart such as poetry, and Shakespeare. In Steven Spielberg's Amistad, Hopkins astounded the crew with his memorisation of a seven-page courtroom speech, delivering it in one go. An overawed Spielberg couldn't bring himself to call him Tony, and insisted on addressing him as Sir Anthony throughout the shoot. In addition, Hopkins is a gifted mimic, adept at turning his native Welsh accent into whatever is required by a character. He duplicated the voice of his late mentor, Laurence Olivier, for additional scenes in Spartacus in its 1991 restoration. His interview on the 1998 relaunch edition of the British TV talk show Parkinson featured an impersonation of comedian Tommy Cooper. Hopkins has said acting "like a submarine" has helped him to deliver credible performances in his thriller movies. He said, "It's very difficult for an actor to avoid, you want to show a bit.

But I think the less one shows the better." Hannibal Lecter Perhaps Hopkins' most famous role is as the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1991, opposite Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, who won for Best Actress. The film won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. It is one of the shortest lead performances to win an Oscar, as Hopkins only appears on screen for little over 16 minutes. Hopkins reprised his role as Lecter twice in Hannibal (2001) and Red Dragon (2002). His original portrayal of the character in The Silence of the Lambs has been labelled by the American Film Institute as the number-one film villain. At the time he was offered the role, Hopkins was making a return to the London stage, performing in M. Butterfly. He had come back to Britain after living for a number of years in Hollywood, having all but given up on a career there, saying, "Well that part of my life's over; it's a chapter closed.

I suppose I'll just have to settle for being a respectable actor poncing around the West End and doing respectable BBC work for the rest of my life." Hopkins played the iconic villain in adaptations of the first three of the Lecter novels by Thomas Harris. The author was reportedly very pleased with Hopkins' portrayal of his antagonist. However, Hopkins stated that Red Dragon would feature his final performance as the character, and that he would not reprise even a narrative role in the latest addition to the series, Hannibal Rising. Personal life Edit Block Hopkins at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. As of 2007, Hopkins resides in Los Angeles. He had moved to the United States once before during the 1970s to pursue his film career, but returned to London in the late 1980s. However, he decided to return to the U.S. following his 1990s success. Retaining his British citizenship, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen on 12 April 2000, and celebrated with a 3,000-mile road trip across the country. Hopkins has been married three times.

His first two wives were Petronella Barker (1967–1972) and Jennifer Lynton (1973–2002). He is now married to Colombian-born Stella Arroyave. He has a daughter from his first marriage, Abigail Hopkins (b. 20 August 1968), who is an actress and singer. He has offered his support to various charities and appeals, notably becoming President of the National Trust's Snowdonia Appeal, raising funds for the preservation of the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales, and to aid the Trust's efforts to purchase parts of Snowdon. A book celebrating these efforts, Anthony Hopkins' Snowdonia, was published together with Graham Nobles. Hopkins has been a patron of the YMCA centre in his hometown of Port Talbot, South Wales for more than 20 years, having first joined the YMCA in the 1950s. Hopkins also takes time to support other various philanthropic groups. He was a Guest of Honour at a Gala Fundraiser for Women in Recovery, Inc., a Venice, California-based non-profit organization offering rehabilitation assistance to women in recovery from substance abuse.

Although he resides in Malibu, California he is also a volunteer teacher at the Ruskin School of Acting in Santa Monica, California. Hopkins has attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, since suddenly stopping drinking in 1975. As stated to TMZ in October 2010, Hopkins is a vegetarian. In 2008, he embarked on a weight loss program, and by 2010, he had lost 80 pounds. Hopkins is a prominent member of environmental protection group Greenpeace and as of early 2008 featured in a television advertisement campaign, voicing concerns about Japan's continuing annual whale hunt. Hopkins has been a patron of RAPt (Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust) since its early days and helped open their first intensive drug and alcohol rehabilitation unit at Downview (HM Prison) in 1992. He is an admirer of the comedian Tommy Cooper. On 23 February 2008, as patron of the Tommy Cooper Society, the actor unveiled a commemorative statue in the entertainer's home town of Caerphilly, South Wales. For the ceremony, Hopkins donned Cooper's trademark fez and performed a comic routine.

Other work Edit Block In 1986, he released a single called "Distant Star", which peaked at #75 in the UK Singles Chart. In 2007, he announced he would retire temporarily from the screen to tour around the world. Hopkins has also written music for the concert hall, in collaboration with Stephen Barton as orchestrator. These compositions include The Masque of Time, given its world premiere with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in October 2008, and Schizoid Salsa. In 1990, Hopkins directed "Dylan Thomas: Return Journey" which was his directing debut for the screen. In 1996, he directed August, an adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya set in Wales. His first screenplay, an experimental drama called Slipstream, which he also directed and scored, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007. Hopkins is a fan of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, and once remarked in an interview how he would love to appear in the series. Writer John Sullivan saw the interview, and with Hopkins in mind created the character Danny Driscoll, a local villain.

However, filming of the new series coincided with the filming of The Silence of the Lambs, making Hopkins unavailable. The role instead went to Roy Marsden. Awards Edit Block Besides his win for The Silence of the Lambs, Hopkins has been Oscar-nominated for The Remains of the Day (1993), Nixon (1995) and Amistad (1997). Hopkins won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in 1973 for his performance as Pierre Bezukhov in the BBC's production of War and Peace, and additionally for The Silence of the Lambs and Shadowlands. He received nominations in the same category for Magic and The Remains of the Day and as Best Supporting Actor for The Lion in Winter. He won Emmy Awards for his roles in The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case and The Bunker, and was Emmy-nominated for The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Great Expectations. He won the directing and the acting award, both for Slipstream, at Switzerland's Locarno International Film Festival. Hopkins became a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) at the Orange British Academy Film Awards in February 2008.

In 1979, Anthony Hopkins became an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, London. Filmography

Question: Which entertainer had a statue erected in his memory in his home town of Caerphilly in 2008?
Answer: Tommy Cooper